STEALING THE FIRE

Neo-Prog • United Kingdom

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Stealing the Fire biography
STEALING THE FIRE began as the brainchild of keyboardist / drummer Chris Bond. It should not however be seen a solo project with a backing band. Guitarist / keyboardist Tim Lane played a prominent role. Bass Player Chris Phillips, whom Bond had worked with in Earthstone, was enlisted into the fold, and the unique vocals of Saff Edye added much to the signature sound.

In the beginning STEALING THE FIRE was a keyboard only band, formed by Bond and friend Chris Hylton (what is it with all the guys named Chris?). They played around with ambient electronic, and experimental jazz, before settling into progressive rock. The evolution came through the various musicians that were added to the mix. Chris Bond described it as a collective based around his small recording studio. Eventually, Tim Lane came aboard, and old friend Chris Phillips was called in.

Even though STEALING THE FIRE and Earthsone were two different projects, the involvement of Bond and Phillips in both initiate comparisons. The overall musical view was similar, and once again the "pagan" aspect was prevalent. Just as before, only one album was recorded. "Hot Ice and Wondrous Strange Snow" was released in 1999, and that was it. Most accounts say that it was an improvement on Earthstone's "Seed." Saff Edye's full folky vocals were a welcome addition and the presence of acoustic drums brought sighs of relief. At first glance one might think this is a standard Neo band cut from the template created in the '80s. It is the other varying influences that set Stealing the Fire apart. The band includes Pink Floyd, Camel, Hawkwind, Kraftwerk and folk music on the list. In Combining modern sounds with a classic sensibility, "Hot Ice and Wondrous Strange Snow" became a worthy, albeit obscure, addition to many prog collections.

STEALING THE FIRE was one of the more eclectic groups of Neo-Prog and sadly fell under the one album wonder category. Work began on a follow up titled "King of Shadows," but the realities of everyday life got in the way. As Tim Lane put it, ".we're not pro musicians and we have jobs and families and various difficulties resulted in the project getting shelved." Rarely do musicians put down their instruments for good. Chris Phillips and Chris Hylton are in a space rock band called Iron Sun. Chris bond has been involved with various projects, most notably the electronic/space/ trip hop band Army of Mice. Tim has definitely kept busy with other bands, solo projects, wr...STEALING THE FIRE began as the brainchild of keyboardist / drummer Chris Bond. It should not however be seen a solo project with a backing band. Guitarist / keyboardist Tim Lane played a prominent role. Bass Player Chris Phillips, whom Bond had worked with in Earthstone, was enlisted into the fold, and the unique vocals of Saff Edye added much to the signature sound.

In the beginning STEALING THE FIRE was a keyboard only band, formed by Bond and friend Chris Hylton (what is it with all the guys named Chris?). They played around with ambient electronic, and experimental jazz, before settling into progressive rock. The evolution came through the various musicians that were added to the mix. Chris Bond described it as a collective based around his small recording studio. Eventually, Tim Lane came aboard, and old friend Chris Phillips was called in.

Even though STEALING THE FIRE and Earthsone were two different projects, the involvement of Bond and Phillips in both initiate comparisons. The overall musical view was similar, and once again the "pagan" aspect was prevalent. Just as before, only one album was recorded. "Hot Ice and Wondrous Strange Snow" was released in 1999, and that was it. Most accounts say that it was an improvement on Earthstone's "Seed." Saff Edye's full folky vocals were a welcome addition and the presence of acoustic drums brought sighs of relief. At first glance one might think this is a standard Neo band cut from the template created in the '80s. It is the other varying influences that set Stealing the Fire apart. The band includes Pink Floyd, Camel, Hawkwind, Kraftwerk and folk music on the list. In Combining modern sounds with a classic sensibility, "Hot Ice and Wondrous Strange Snow" became a worthy, albeit obscure, addition to many prog collections.

STEALING THE FIRE was one of the more eclectic groups of Neo-Prog and sadly fell under the one album wonder category. Work began on a follow up titled "King of Shadows," but the realities of everyday life got in the way. As Tim Lane put it, ".we're not pro musicians and we have jobs and families and various difficulties resulted in the project getting shelved." Rarely do musicians put down their instruments for good. Chris Phillips and Chris Hylton are in a space rock band called Iron Sun. Chris bond has been involved with various projects, most notably the electronic/space/ trip hop band Army of Mice. Tim has definitely kept busy with other bands, solo projects, writing a musical, and becoming a music and technology teacher.

In 2012 they decided to try one more time and embarked on the task of bringing "King of Shadows" to completion. For the long awaited sophomore effort the lineup will consist of Tim Lane, Chris Bond, Saffron Paffron (yes, the same Saff), and Gary Wortley on drums. Phillips and Hylton have chosen to bow out and continue on their current trajectory. The initial expectation was to release the album sometime in 2013 but at this time we are still left waiting.

H.T. Riekels (bhikku)
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